The present invention relates to a body-fluid inspection device which draws body fluids (especially, blood) by sticking a needle into the surface of a living body, such as a finger tip, and carries out an inspection, upon inspecting body fluids such as, for example, blood and inter-organ fluids.
Recently, along with an increase in the number of diabetics, it has been proposed that self blood-sugar measurements be carried out by the patients so as to monitor the every-day fluctuation of the blood-sugar value for themselves. At present, in most of the measurements of the blood-sugar value, blood-sugar measuring devices are used in which test paper which changes colors in accordance with the amount of glucose in the blood is prepared, blood is supplied to the test paper so as to be developed therein, and the blood-sugar value is estimated by optically measuring the level of the color that has been developed (measurement of colors). Prior to this type of measurements, the patient has to stick the skin of his or her finger tip by using a sticking tool equipped with a needle or a small knife in order to draw and sample his or her blood; and then the patient has to squeeze blood out by pressing the surrounding area of the stuck portion with the fingers, etc. However, since the sticking tool and the blood-sugar measuring device are separately provided, the patient has to replace the sticking tool in his or her hand with the blood-sugar measuring device while the finger is bleeding; this causes degradation in the operability, and is not preferable from the sanitary point of view.
Here, U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,294 discloses a system in which conventional sticking tool and blood-sugar measuring device are provided as an integral part. In this system, the following means are installed in a housing: a sticking means, a means for transporting blood to a chemical reagent for use in blood and a means for carrying out optical measurements on the chemical reagent for use in blood and for displaying the results thereof. However, in this system, since the amount of blood is not sufficient even if the sticking operation is carried out, the patient has to squeeze blood out by pressing the stuck portion with the fingers, etc. after the sticking operation; this fails to make any improvements in the operability as compared with the conventional devices.
Moreover, another blood-sugar measuring device has been disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 276235 in 1997. In this blood-sugar measuring device, a sticking means, a pressure band for pressing the finger and a means for measuring and displaying the blood ingredients are placed in a housing. However, although this blood-sugar measuring device makes it possible to draw a sufficient amount of blood required by the function of the pressure band, remaining blood on the finger tip tends to adhere to the pressure band at the time of withdrawing the finger from the pressure band after use; this causes the possibility of contagion, etc.